Drying

Drying is the removal of liquid moisture from a material by evaporation, drainage, or other separation methods. It can preserve materials, prepare them for use, or change their physical properties.

Evaporation: The phase change in which molecules escape from a liquid surface into a gas. Most drying by air or heat removes liquid water through this surface phase change.
Food dehydration: The removal of water from food to extend storage life or produce a desired texture. It uses drying to slow spoilage and create products such as dried fruit.
Moisture content: The amount of water contained in a material, expressed relative to its mass or dry solids. It provides the principal measure of how much water remains during drying.
Sun drying: The drying of materials by direct exposure to sunlight and ambient air. It uses free solar heat but depends strongly on weather and handling conditions.
Water activity and food preservation: The use of reduced water availability to limit microbial growth and chemical deterioration in food. Drying can preserve food by lowering the water available to spoilage organisms.
Mass transfer: The movement of a substance from one location or phase to another because of a concentration or chemical-potential difference. Drying depends on moisture moving from the material into surrounding air.
Freeze-drying: A process that removes frozen water from a material by sublimation under low pressure. It dries heat-sensitive foods and medicines while helping retain structure.
Water activity: A measure of water's availability for chemical reactions and microbial growth in a material. A product can remain moist yet resist spoilage when its water activity is low.
Oven drying: A method that removes moisture by heating material in an enclosed oven, often with controlled airflow. It offers more controlled heating than open-air drying but can damage heat-sensitive materials.
Shrinkage: A reduction in a material's dimensions or volume as it loses moisture or undergoes structural change. Uneven moisture loss can make a drying material contract and deform.

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